I've not been around on here for a long time due to various reasons. However, due to a bad back I've not nothing else to do !
I've been really happy with the 3 bikes I have for the past year or so.
A new Hei Hei for XC, a Dawg for bigger stuff and a SS Explosif for pootling. So, why it is after a week of being on here I'm suddenly drawn into building a long travel hardtail ?
It looks like I've sold my Explosif as well so the money is there !
Is it really the Summer Season ????
do it! I have 140mm on my 2010 P7 and its a work of art to ride! don't worry about the pounds (weight) and DO IT!
So, why it is after a week of being on here I'm suddenly drawn into building a long travel hardtail ?
It's the latest "must have", it'll be a cross bike after that.
Well I did think I could us it to replace both the Explosif and the Dawg....
Got 150mm travel forks, as you say could be fun.....
Must stay away from here in the future !!
There's a rather tasty (and rare as hens teeth) Orange SubZero in the classifieds somewhere, I'd snap that up if I had the cash!!
Its the future man. Blue pig owner here, love it.
Sold my full-sus and stayed with the 456SS, looooovely!
they've been around for donkeys years, it's just that On-One and Ragley have brought out versions in recent times which have 'sorted' geometry and all the fanbois here have wet their pretty pink panties over them.
saying that, I have one, although I have the father of long travel steel hardtails, the Soul...
maybe it's recession led too, with a long travel hardtail being a less expensive doitall bike, compared to a £2k full suss
[img] 
[/img]
oh and have some very nice pushed Pikes for sale is your interested, they will go great on a 456 or any other LT frame you think of 😉
My Evil Sovereign is my only bike and, whilst it is brilliant and I do love it, I think I'd split it duties between 3 or 4 bikes if I had unlimited resources. 140mm hardtail could end up being a bit of a Jack of all trades and master of none, perhaps? Unless it's an Evil, of course in which case it will be a master of the majority of trades...
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
I must say that the pricing of the Ragleys is looking very attractive.
Decisions, decisions
bakes - Member
I have one, although I have the father of long travel steel hardtails, the Soul...
WTF?
Cotic BFe replaced my full suss this year. Took it to the Alps and it was superb!
no looking back now!
lt ht is a bit of a bodge really. not 'really good' at anything just an ok all rounder.
it annoyed me it wasnt light an flickable, then it annoyed me it wasnt suspended and i was bouncing off everything, then it annoyed me when i wanted to ride uphill.
been there, done that, have 3 bikes again.
I'd add a P7 to the fleet if I were a rich man.
Hell yess.
LTHTs are soooo last year dharling
2010 is all about the crosser* (nods to cynic-al)
but if you want to get ahead of the game, i predict that 2011 will be all about skinnying down the tyres further and getting your panniers/low riders/bar bag out for proper multi day cycle touring. (allowing removal of racks to look fraudax.
.
.
.
.
*this year you have to bivi don cha kno
cynic-al - Member
bakes - Member
I have one, although I have the father of long travel steel hardtails, the Soul...WTF?
That was my thought, too! Pretty sure my Kobe came out earlier than that, and the Stiffee definitely did.
Kids of today, eh, no sense of history!
Edit: not steel. 🙄 Still, the P7 was out before that? The original On-One?
Strangly enough I did contemplate a crosser !
Then when I took into account my bad back I decided it probably wasn't the way to go !
The hardtail probably isn't either but it will fill in the gap until I can afford a new longish travel FS to replace the Dawg.
Also - how come the mmmBop is so heavily discounted at CRC - just to compete with On One ?????
Oddly enough I (seriously) thought the same thing the other day, the number of people doing 24hour events show's there's plenty of people out there with the fitness, so why not do some seriously big rides taking 2-3 days like walkers/climbers?
Friday, drive somwhere, ride for 2 hours, camp, saturday, ride for 8 hours, camp, sunday ride for 6 hours and drive home.
As for LTHT's they rock, and always have done, light enough to almost blameless for being slow uphill, burly enough to have DH bikes worried on smoother courses.
depends on your definition of long travel. spooky metalhead ran 100mm forks back in the day, which at the time were as long as singlecrown forks got. kona roast and specialised p3 were both '99 bikes with 100mm forks as well
Cove Stiffee was the original production LTHT in terms of "riding around" I think?
Van Halen - Member
then it annoyed me when i wanted to ride uphill
why?
just asking...
COTIC BFE ,EVIL SOV,DIALLED ALPINE,TRASITION TRANS AM ,GENESIS ALPITUDE,BRODIE HOLESHOT TI all good all the time .Pick any one and you wont go far wrong.
Evil sov and the BFE for me really stand out from the crowd
Van Halen - Memberlt ht is a bit of a bodge really. not 'really good' at anything just an ok all rounder.
it annoyed me it wasnt light an flickable, then it annoyed me it wasnt suspended and i was bouncing off everything, then it annoyed me when i wanted to ride uphill.
been there, done that, have 3 bikes again.
No no no no no no no. No.
Having had a spanking new LT HT (Talas 36s and everything) built up for 3 months but not ridden due to broken bones this is exactly what I'm beginning to fear.
Was planning a weight reduction session with all the parts moving to a Heckler frame and sticking some revs and nice light stuff on the ht frame poss as a singlespeed.
AND I'VE NEVER EVEN RIDDEN THE ****ING BIKE!
It's an obsession.
SC chameleon
SOOBalias - Member
LTHTs are soooo last year dharling
2010 is all about the crosser* (nods to cynic-al)but if you want to get ahead of the game, i predict that 2011 will be all about skinnying down the tyres further and getting your panniers/low riders/bar bag out for proper multi day cycle touring.
Only on STW would a form of cycling undertaken by a lot more folk than the small minority of mountain bikers represented here be considered a future trend.
Why would you go for a 456 0n-one anything, get a stiffee! 😉
trust me, its worth ther extra cash.
if it's not yer only bike get an ns bikes surge. More playful/less xc oriented than the on-one/ragly/bfe, but if you have an xc bike that's no bad thing
in fact, even if it is your only bike, get one anyway. They're ace.
lt ht is a bit of a bodge really. not 'really good' at anything just an ok all rounder.
My Trailstar LT is "really good" at jumping ta 🙂 If the top tube was a bit longer I think it'd be perfect for xc as well.
Van Halen - Member
lt ht is a bit of a bodge really. not 'really good' at anything just an ok all rounder.it annoyed me it wasnt light an flickable, then it annoyed me it wasnt suspended and i was bouncing off everything, then it annoyed me when i wanted to ride uphill.
been there, done that, have 3 bikes again.
I don't quite follow the logic, because most MTBs are a compromise.
Do you take all three bikes on every ride just in case you have to ride uphill, find some rock gardens that need suspension, etc, etc?
nickc - Member
SC chameleon
Been there tried that and really didn't get on with it.
Binned it after half a dozen rides or so...
I am thinking of getting a crosser too...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
[img] 
[/img]
My 456 was ok with 145mm nixons and better with 120mm T/A Rebas.
Now my Rebas have a 456Ti and it seems to be a rather good combination. Of course, 120mm isn't 'long travel' by some peoples standards.
Theres nothing I can't ride that I don't on my FS, I'm just a bit slower on some stuff. As is said often on this forum, the ride is far more involving and rewarding than straight out FS speed too.
the end use seems to be heavily dependent on the forks used.
ive got 150mm revs on an alpine frame which is great, but i just cant imagine riding it uphill with the 36vans (160mm) from my big bike
I admit I do like the challenge and I'm not afraid of being slowed down a little.
Generally I'm faster on the downhills on my SS rigid than a lot of my riding mates on FS 😉
I've just ridden Les Arcs for the second time on a 140mm hardtail which is fine.
In the UK I run 130mm max.
Going to stick my neck out here and say that 140 +
travel hardtail's are a bit of a fad.
If you need more than that get a full susser.
You can all shout me down now 🙂
BUMHANDS IS WRONG
how was it for you?